Coupler



Jan. 29, 1946.

E. P; KlNNE COUPLER Filed 001:. I, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 29, 1946.

E. P. KINN'E COUPLER Filed 001;. 1,1943

2 Sheefs-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 29, 1946 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEAmerican Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New JerseyApplication October 1, 1943, serial No. 504,547

14 Claims.

My invention relates to couplers and more particularly to a novelanticreep means for preventing the lock of the coupler from accidental-1y raising to unlocked position under service conditions. My inventionis illustrated as applied to acou'pler of well known form and adopted asthe Standard E ,coupler by the American Association of Railroads;however, it will be understood that my invention may be utilized in anycoupler to which it may be adapted.

The general object of my invention is to provide a resilient memberreacting against a bracket on the coupler and against the lifter orrotor lever which is operatively connected to the lock in more or lessconventional manner.

A different object of my invention isto provide resilient means operableto supplement the force of gravity in urging the lock downwardly tolocked'positionduring a coupling operation.

A specific object of my invention is to design an arrangement such asabove described in which a torsion Spring is interlocked at one endthereof with the coupler bracket and is provided with means forinterlocking the opposite end thereof with the lifter or rotor lever. Inone embodiment of my invention the torsionspring'is interlocked with thelifter lever by means'of a special spring cant-and in another embodimentof my invention the spring is interlockedwith the lifter lever by meansof a hook portion integrallyformed with the spring; a

My invention comprehends a spring cap mem ber of novel form, said memberhaving a cylindri cal portion for the reception of the torsion springand having an arm for-med on a side of said cylindrical portion, theextremity of said ar'm extending generally parallel to the longitudinalaxis of said cylindrical portion and projecting beyond the. adjacent endthereof the lifter lever.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is. afragmentary side elevation of a coupler embodying myinvention, the lower end for enga ement with only of. said couplerbeingillustrated inasmuch as the rest thereof is of. conventional form.

. Fig-BT82. is a fragmentary sectional view" taken in the planesindicated by the line 2-" 2 of Figure 1 o v .l iguresfi and l are;respectively an end elevation and aside elevation of my novel spring capfirst to the embodiment tuereoriuusuated in Figures 1 to f1 inclusive,the coupler head fragmentarily indicated at 2 is of conventionalStandard E design and comprises the spaced depending trunnion/lugs 4 and5 with the trunnion 8 extend ing therebetween. The lifter or rotor leverl0 comprises a bearing portion [2 at one end thereof journaled on thetrunnion 8, and said lifter lever comprises an eye portion l4intermediate its ends for the reception of the hook-portion of anassociated operating rod, fragmentarily' indicated at It (Figure 2)'I'helifter lever I0 is pivoted at its other end as at Ill (Figure owelink 20 which is interlocked at 22 in conventional manner with the lock24 of standard construc= tion.

A. bracket 26 is' welded or formed on the lug 4, and said bracketcomprises a pin 28 having a slot 30 in the end thereof forthe receptionof one end of a torsion coil spring 32 sleeved over the pin 28. A springcap 34 is sleeved over the spring 32, and both the cap 34 and the spring32 are re: tained in position on the pin 28 by means of a cotter pin36'.

The spring cap is shown in detail in Figures and 4 and comprises acylindrical portion 38 for the reception of the before-mentioned spring32, said portion having an annular inturned flange 40'- at one endthereof affording a seat as at 42 (Figure 2) for the spring 32, and theopposite end of the cylindrical portion 38 is relieved or recessed at 43to afford clearance for the adjacent end of the spring 32 which projectsfrom the tion 38 of. the springcap 34 and engages the arm 46', as bestseen at 5| (Figure 1).

The Spring 32, as illustrated iflSOIid hues in Figure 1,- is" under aninitial torsion preferably of about exerting a pressure of approximately1 0 lbs. on the arm 46 of the spring cap 34. Under these conditions, thelock 24 is in its lowest or locked position with respect to theassociated knuckle of the coupler 2 as will be readily understood bythose skilled inthe. art. When the lifter is rotated about the trunnion8 during a knuckle throwing operation to the highest point approximately23 lbs. against the spring cap arm' illustrated in dot and dash lines at56. Thus it will be understood that although the spring 32 7 permits therotor or lifter arm If! to be raised to its highest position, during aknuckle throwing operation, said spring is operable to place asubstantial load on the lifter lever I!) in its lowest position when thelock 21 is in locked position with respect to the associated knuckle. Itwill be understood that in order for a bouncing move- .ment of thecoupler to cause the lock 24 to acci- '3. In a coupler,a coupler head, alock therewithin, spaced depending lugs on said head and a trunnionextending therebetween, a lifter lever journaled at one end thereof onsaid trunnion, a link pivoted to the opposite end of said lifter andconnected to said look, a, bracket secured to one of said lugs andcomprising a pin disposed externally of said head,'a slot in said pinextending transversely thereof adjacent the end of said pin remote fromsaid coupler head, a tor- 7 sionv spring sleeved on said pin andhavingone dentally raise to unlocked position, the resistance of thespring 32 must be overcome, and it has been found under serviceconditions that the spring -is operable to prevent such accidentalraising of the lock.

It will also be understood that the spring 32 exerts a positive forcesupplementingthe action of gravity in urging the lock 24 downwardly tolocked position during a coupling operation.

A modification of my invention is illustrated in Figure 5 which issubstantially identical with the arrangement illustrated in Figures land2 except that the spring cap 34 is omitted and one end of the spring 32is provided with a hooklike extension I02 engaged as at I34 with therotor or lifter lever l0 intermediate the ends thereof. The spring isthus interlocked with the lifter lever ill by means of the extension I02without the necessity of a spring cap, as illus-' spirit of theinvention or the scope of the claims.

,I claim: v

1. In a coupler, a coupler head, a lock'therewithin, a lifter journaledat one end thereof on movement thereof.

end thereof received within said slot, and means interlocking theopposite end of said spring with said lifter lever intermediate the endsthereof.

4. In a coupler, a coupler head, a look therewithin, spaced dependinglugs on said head and a trunnion extending therebetween, a'lifter leverjournaled at one end thereof on said trunnion,

a link pivoted, tothe opposite endof said lifter and connected to saidlook, a bracket secured to one of said lugs and comprisinga pin disposedexternally of said head, a torsion spring sleeved on said pin, saidspring having the end thereof remote from said couplerrhead removablyinterconnected with said pin, and means removably interconnecting theopposite end of'said spring with said lifter lever intermediate the endsthere'- of, said spring being pretensioned whereby a load is ,placed onsaid lifter lever to resist upward 5. In a coupler, a coupler head, alock therewithin, a lifter journaled at one end thereof on a trunnionformed on said head, a link'pivoted to the opposite end of said lifterand connected to said look, a bracket on said coupler head com? prisinga pin disposed externally of said head, a slot in said pin extendingtransversely thereof adjacent the end of said pin remote from saidcoupler head, a torsion spring sleeved on said pin and having one endthereof received within said slot, and an operative connection, betweenthe a trunnion formed on said head, a link pivoted to the opposite endof said lifter and connected to said look, a bracket on said couplerhead comprising a pin, a slot in said pin extending transversely thereofadjacent the end of said pin remote from said coupler head, a torsionspring sleeved on said pin and having one end thereof received withinsaid slot, and an operative-connection between the opposite end of saidspring and said lifter, said operative connection comprising a springcap affording bearing for said op,- posite end of said spring, said caphaving an arm bearing against an intermediate portion of said lifter.

2. In a'coupler, a coupler head, a lock therewithin, a lifter journaledatone end thereof on a trunnion formed on said head, a link pivoted tothe opposite end of said lifter and connected sleeved on said pin andhaving one end thereofreceived within said slot, and an operativeconnection between the opposite end of saidspring .and'said lifter, saidoperative connection comprising a spring cap affording bearing for saidopposite end of said spring, said cap having an arm Wlth an arcuatesurface bearing against said lifter. r

opposite end of said spring and said lifter, said portion of saidlifter.

6. In a coupler, a coupler head, a look :there- 7 within, a lifterjournaled at one end thereofon a trunnion formed on said head, a linkpivoted to the opposite end of said lifter and connected to said lock, abracket on said coupler head-comprising a pin disposed externally ofsaid head, a slot in said pin extending transversely thereof adjacentthe end of said pin remote from said coupler head, a torsion springsleeved on said pin 7 and having one end thereof received within saidslot, and an operative connection between theopposite end of saidspringand said lifter, said 7. In a coupler, a coupler head, a look there- 7within, a link connected to said look, a lifter pivoted to said link andsaid head, a torsion spring supported from said head,'said spring beinginterlocked at one end thereof with a member fixed on said head, andmeans for interlocking the opposite end of said spring with said lifter,

said means comprising a spring cap sleeved over said spring andaffording bearing for said -oppo-- site end thereof, said cap having aportion in" abutment with said lifter intermediate the ends thereof.

8. In a coupler, a couper head, a look thereoted to said link and saidhead, a torsion spring cylinder for the reception of said spring, aninturned flange on one end of said cylinder affording a'seat for saidspring, a recess in the opposite end of said cylinder for accommodationof a projecting end of said spring, and an arm on said cylinder havingan extremity extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axisthereof, said arm having a surface adjacent said recess affordingbearing for said projecting end, and said extremity having an arcuatebearing surface for abutment with an associated member.

10. In a spring cap for an anticreep spring, a cylindrical portionadapted for the reception of said spring being so formed and arranged asto be readily removable from said member and said lifter while theyremain in normal assembled relationship with the head.

13. In anticreep means for a coupler having a coupler head, a knucklepivoted therein, a lock movable into and out of locking engagement withsaid knuckle, and a lifter operatively connected to the lock and pivotedto the head; the combination of a pinlike member projecting laterallyfrom said head at one side and externally thereof, a slot in said memberadjacent the end of said member remote from said head, a torsion springsleeved over said member and having one end received within said slot,readily removable means associated with said member for preventingmovement of said spring axially of said member in said spring, an armformed on the exterior of I said cylindrical portion, said arm having anextremity extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of saidcylindrical portion and projecting therebeyond, and an arcuate bearingsurface on said extremity for abutment with an associated member.

11. In a coupler, a coupler head, a lock therewithin, a link connectedto said look, a lifter pivoted to said link and said head, and a torsionspring supported from said head externally there of, said spring beinginterlocked at one end thereof with a member fixed on said head, andmeans for interlocking the opposite end of said spring with said lifter,the interlocking connections of said spring to said member and lifter,respectively, being formed and arranged to readily accommodate removalof said spring from said member and said lifter while they remain innormal assembled relationship with the head.

12. In a coupler, a coupler head, a look therewithin, a link connectedto said lock, a lifter pivoted to said link and said head, and a torsionV. spring supported from said head externally thereof, said spring beinginterlocked at one end thereof with a member fixed on said head, theopposite end of said spring bearing against said lifter,

the direction away from said head, and an operative connection betweenthe other end of said spring and an adjacent portion of said lifter,said operative connection being formed and arranged to readilyfacilitate disconnection of said spring from said lifter, whereby uponremoval of said means from said member said spring may be readilyremoved from the latter while said lifter remains in normal assembledrelationship.

14. In anticreep means for a coupler including a coupler head, a knucklepivoted thereto, a lock movable into and out of locking engagement withsaid knuckle, and a lever operatively connected to the lock and to thehead; the combination of a pinlike member fixed to the head andprojecting laterally thereof at one side and externally thereof, a slotin said member adjacent the end' of said member remote from said head, atorsion spring sleeved over said member and having one end receivedwithin said slot, readily removable means extending through said memberadjacent said end thereof for preventing accidental disassembly of saidspring, and an operative connection between the other end of said springand an adjacent portion of said lever, said operative connection beingformed and-arranged to readily facilitate disconnection of said springfrom said lever, whereby upon removal of said means from said membersaid spring may be removed therefrom while said lever remains in normalassembled relationship with the head.

EDMUND P. KINNE.

